St. Pete family evacuates before Irma, bathes in Suwanee River

After two days without power, the Kohler family decided to bathe in the Suwanee River. That led to an unforgettable memory.

Author:
Daniel Sechtin , WTSP

Published:
6:06 PM EDT September 18, 2017

Updated:
6:06 PM EDT September 18, 2017

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Carson Kohler was excited to show off her shower.

"Hot water!" she said.

"There's my shampoo...conditioner."

The shower feels extra special to Carson because of where she was bathing last week.

"We evacuated to a cabin on the Suwanee River. It's about three hours north. It was going to get us out of the direct hit from Hurricane Irma," she said.

"My parents had been working in the yard all day. They were sweating...and said they were going to take a bath in the Suwanee River. I was like okay, why not?"

With no one around, the Kohlers waded into the murky water in their swimsuits.

"It wasn't the most pleasant thing bathing in a brown river. Also, there are alligators in there!" she laughed.

What happened next was uncomfortable and unexpected for the family.

"About halfway through bathing, another couple showed up which was kind of weird because bathing is an intimate thing you don't normally do with a bunch of other people," said Kohler.

Soon, others showed up as well. However, rather than remaining uncomfortable, the Kohler's found themselves locked in a unique bond.

"We would never have met them otherwise," Carson said. "It's nice to just see how things fall together and how you can meet such great people in times like this even though they're not the best of times."